Seven Minutes in Heaven
by Antigone2
Summary: It started as a silly tumblr prompt and, as usual, I took things way too far. A one-shot per season (two for R!), our favorite couple, a closet, and various hijinks. Enjoy!
1. Classic

The door closed behind them and Usagi wilted against it, sighing with relief. The idea to play this stupid game at a giant co-ed party (really, it was Mako-chan desperate to get in with Motoki and Usagi just going along with it as a good friend…) had made her so jittery and panicky and all that worry for nothing! Usagi could have really laughed.

"What's so funny odango atama?"

Oh shit, had she _actually_ laughed?

"Nothing, I'm just… " So glad that out of all the people here, the one person who would never, ever, in five million years want to kiss her, ended up on the other side of the door with her. So utterly relieved that she wouldn't need to reveal to a cute stranger (or, god forbid! Motoki) that at 16 years old she hadn't even had her first kiss yet. (And hell if it was going to be with a stranger during a party game!)

When she and Mamoru would leave the room, completely unscathed, it would be of no surprise to anyone! Not because Usagi was inherently unkissable, not because she was a "kiss virgin" but because everyone knew Usagi and Mamoru were like oil and water (he was the oil, Usagi decided).

"Just?" he prompted in a sardonic voice.

"I'm just so glad it's *you*," she said. The silence that followed made Usagi quickly raise her hands and shake her head. "No, no don't worry! Just because… I don't really…"

"You don't want to kiss a stranger during a party game and you rightfully guessed that I am not the type of guy to make a move on a vulnerable girl during a situation like this."

"Sooooomething like that," Usagi said, twisting her hair around her finger. "I mean, with you– the pressure's off, ya know? We can just chat. Hang. Chillax…" she spread her hands out and wiggled her shoulders a little.

"Ah." The light wasn't that good, but she saw him smirk, at least.

"So…." Usagi twisted her mouth to the side and thought. The silence was suddenly almost awkward. She and Mamoru usually had things to say to each other, usually in raised voices… well her voice was raised, Mamoru's was usually sarcastic and amused.

"Anything you wanna know? We have seven minutes ya know."

"More like six now. And I'm good, thanks."

"Aww, c'mooooon!" she said, tugging on his arm. "There must be something you could be *dying* to ask me."

"Oh okay, sure," he tugged ever-so-gently on a wayward curl of blonde hair. "How do you find time to do your hair like this every day if you are always running so late?"

Usagi hadn't realized how close they were to each other until he'd touched her. His breath was practically tickling her neck! Sheesh, no wonder people make-out during this game. She was even starting to find Mamoru attractive right now – and that was weird.

"Um… lots of practice I guess?" she said. "It doesn't take long. Sometimes I do it the night before though." What a boring answer. Usagi wished she could be flirtatious and captivating. 'How I get my hair like this? Wouldn't YOU like to know? wink wink'.

Heh. Oh well. Usagi was never going to be a femme fatal. "I like to sleep with my hair down, though," she pulled her fingers through one of her pig tails, thoughtfully. "It's more comfortable…"

"Okay, my turn." Usagi said, finally, she got sick of the ensuing silence. "Tell me about your first kiss."

"What?" he did sound truly surprised at that, even backing up a couple of inches (as much as he could in the small space.)

"I've never been kissed," Usagi said. It was the secret she'd spent all night trying to keep, and here she was just blabbing it out like nothing but… she trusted Mamoru wouldn't tell anyone. He liked to tease her, sure, but he was never _cruel._ Besides, it didn't seem so embarrassing for him to know. He probably wasn't surprised. "So I was wondering what it's like."

"Not that great," he shrugged, hands in his pockets. "It's a huge build-up. When it happens, it's nothing special."

"Oh." She suddenly felt very disappointed.

He touched her cheek. "Sorry, Odango atama. Maybe it'll be different for you."

"Maybe," she said. His fingers felt nice on her skin. Soft and kind.

There was a bang on the door. "Okay guys! Time's gonna be up! One minute!"

"That's if they are both still alive in there," another voice said.

Usagi caught Mamoru's hand in hers. "Please don't tell–"

"C'mon Odango atama," he didn't let go of her hand."Give me some credit."

Usagi smiled. Then, on impulse, she stood on her tip-toes and quickly kissed his cheek. Well, it was dark, so she actually caught the edge of his mouth – not quite a " _kiss_ kiss", so it didn't count. And he grabbed her waist and pulled her close in what was not really an embrace and they looked at each other, faces centimeters apart, eye to eye, in what couldn't _really_ be called an intense moment. Usagi licked her lips, and swallowed.

Then the door knob turned, and they jumped apart to blink into the bright light of the room. Usagi was instantly pulled into the shrieking circle of her friends, and she met Mamoru's eye and flushed a little. 'Thank you,' she mouthed. And she realized she really did like his smile– smirk and all.


	2. first R-arc

The last thing Usagi saw before the closet door closed on her and Mamoru was Minako's delighted thumbs-up behind Natsumi's enraged face. Then it was darkness.

Usagi was deciding between being annoyed and grateful, balling her fists and waiting for her eyes to adjust. The last time she and Mamoru were 'victims' in this little game, they'd actually had a moment. (If you could call it that). Usagi glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. But he didn't remember the last time. He didn't remember anything about her.

Depressing.

"So…" he drawled, in that infuriating voice that Usagi hated being attracted to. "I guess you won this round with Natsumi."

'It's not about Natsumi and you know it,' Usagi wanted to say. Instead she couldn't help a little sulk. "Sorry to disappoint you," she muttered. Would he have rather been in here with Natsumi? Ugh. Double depressing.

Mamoru gave a half-shrug. "I'm not disappointed." To he honest, he preferred Usagi's company to her overbearing counterpart.

"How sweet," Usagi said, injecting just the slightest bit of sarcasm into her voice, which actually made Mamoru grin for some reason.

He reached out and tweeked her nose a little, making her scowl up at him. He couldn't help smiling. In retaliation, Usagi reached up and attempted to mess his hair, but he was taller than she expected and even on her tippy-toes she couldn't quite reach — "aahh!" with a shriek, she stumbled forward and they both fell backward onto a pile of blankets. The wall shook and suddenly the rod above them fell just to Mamoru's left and buried them in hangers and shirts with a magnificent clatter.

"Wooohoooo!" came a chorus of voices though the door.

"Oof," Mamoru tried to lift himself on his elbows but the awkward angle along with the weight of Usagi plus mounds of Motoki's polo shirts made escape futile. Usagi was struggling to get up, too, moving her arms and legs clumsily attempting to find a solid surface to push off of. It was all blankets and shirts and … she shuttered back down on Mamoru, her chin hitting his chest with a painful thunk. He moaned and she cringed. "Sorry."

She started to push herself up again, and he grabbed her arm, "Just stop trying to get up, Usagi."

Flushing, she lowered her head. "Sorry," she said again. She was too embarrassed to even enjoy being pressed up against him in such a compromising position. Well, _almost_ too embarrassed.

"You guys okay in there?" Ami's voice called, sounding concerned.

"They are fine!" Usagi distinctly recognized Minako. "No going in before time's up!"

"But…"

Usagi was about to call out, when she felt Mamoru's body shake beneath her. "Are you… _laughing_?" Usagi hissed. Mamoru nodded, still laughing too hard to speak. Then, Usagi couldn't help giggling a little too, her embarrassment melting away with every chortle from Mamoru.

Usagi put her head on his shoulder.

"Never a dull moment, huh, Odango Atama?" Mamoru said, still slightly breathless. Usagi liked hearing his voice reverberate through his chest.

 _Oh what the hell,_ she thought. _I couldn't possibly make this situation worse._ And she squirmed up until she was directly over him and kissed him right on the mouth.

It might be her only chance to kiss Mamoru Chiba, Usagi thought, and after all she went through, she earned this!

He was shocked, to say the least, when her warm, insistent mouth was suddenly right on his. It surprised Usagi more when _he_ kissed _her_ back. He shifted his body weight to one arm and lifted the other one to brush Usagi's face, wind through her hair. She let him gently shift her over to get better access to her mouth, ignoring the wayward hanger that tumbled down from the fallen rod and bopped her on the head.

There they were, kissing passionately, wedged between Motoki's clothing and the wall, a tangle of arms and legs and bruises. Usagi could have died happy.

Then an unpleasant voice (Natsumi's voice, Usagi realized, like a bucket of cold water) "Time's up already, jeeze!" And the door opened.

"We fell," Usagi said into the blinding light of the room, and a few friendly arms pulled up her and out of the closet.

"My clothes!" Motoki said, putting his hands to his head.

"Mamoru! You poor thing!" Natsumi ran to him but Motoki got there first, offering Mamoru his hand.

"Give me a minute," Mamoru said, pushing himself up on his elbows, shirts falling off him every which way.

"Got the wind knocked out of you, huh?" Motoki said, with a laugh.

"Yeah," Mamoru agreed with a shake of his head. He looked over at Usagi from where she was standing in her circle of friends.

When did she learn how to smirk like that?


	3. second R-arc

"But you guys this is–" the door closed right on Usagi's protests. "This is soooo not even–"

She sighed. Rei's closet was pretty small. Smelled nice, though. Which was more than she could say for Motoki's to be real.

"I'm sorry," Usagi said to Mamoru, who stood silently next to her, his arm brushing hers in the tight space. She pressed her fingers together, sheepishly. "You know how they are. They are so excited we are back together, it's actually sweet they are so happy for us. Sure, this is an incredibly silly situation and it's immature and I know that and I'm really sorry-"

"Usako?"

"Yeah?" She blinked and stop her nervous talking, looking up at him expectantly.

Mamoru kissed her so suddenly she actually made a surprised squeal deep in her throat. Then she shut her eyes and wrapped her arms around his waist, enjoying the moment.

"Sorry," he murmured, not pulling away too far. "I know this is a silly situation. And probably immature. But I really missed you."

"Me, too," she smiled and they kissed again.

"But officially we are angry they did this, right?" Usagi confirmed.

"Yes, absolutely. We don't want this to become a thing."


	4. S

"This is so stupid!" Usagi said as the door closed on her and Mamoru.

Rei's voice came in from the other side. "You guys are the ones being stupid. You stay in there until this stupid sulky, cross-armed, not looking at each other thing stops ruining our good time!"

"Yeah!" Minako said, Usagi could tell she was honing in on the cake Usagi had left behind on her plate.

"Just don't destroy my closet like you did Motoki's last time!" Makoto called.

They were all entirely too cheerful. Why wouldn't anyone just _let_ her be sulky for a night? She leaned against the far wall, pouting.

"So, come here often?" Mamoru said conversationally, trying not to notice how she glared at him.

"Oh, c'mon, Usako," he said, finally. "Just tell me what this is all about so we can go back to the party."

She said nothing.

"And you can finish your cake," he added.

Usagi rolled her eyes. "Ya know, my friends may have locked us in a closet together but at least they care about our relationship."

"What are-"

"And least they _know_ about our relationship."

Oh. There it was.

"Usa-"

"Seriously!" she whirled on him, hands on hips. Her elbows knocked some of Makoto's dresses askew, but at least this closet seemed to be more structurally sound than Motoki's, Mamoru noticed. Although, to be honest, he really wouldn't mind being buried in a clothes avalanche again, if it meant he got to hold Usagi again. She'd been pissed at him for a rather long time.

"I run into you and some classmates and you introduce me as 'Usagi'?" She would have been yelling had they been alone, as it was, she was keeping her voice between a hiss and an angry whisper. It was kind of unnerving.

"As whom did you want me to introduce you? Sailor Moon?"

"How about ' _my girlfriend_ , Usagi'?! Or better yet, how about you maybe mentioned me at least once so they recognized my name?" Usagi's voice broke in spite of herself and she angry swiped at tears before they fell. "How about I didn't get asked 'so do you have a boyfriend at school?' in the middle of the small talk we were all making? How about I didn't have to make an excuse to leave so because you were obviously so embarrassed about me -"

"Embarrassed? Is that what you think?" He took her arm to keep her from knocking any more clothes over and she didn't struggle to take it back. Usagi just sniffled, her shoulders slumped, all the fight gone out of her in a moment.

"I know I'm young. And silly. And not gorgeous or put-together or -"

"Okay, you need to stop," Mamoru said, firmly. He wiped a tear away from her face, gently. "I'm not ashamed of you. At all."

"Then why?" she looked up at him and he wanted to kiss her so badly (was anyone timing this? did they have seven minutes or only until Rei said they could come out? or until Minako was done stealing Usagi's portion of the cake?). "Why don't any of your friends know about me?"

"Because… because you are…" he trailed off in thought and Usagi sniffled. "Because," he ran a hand through his hair, agitated. "You are mine."

She looked confused.

"I don't mean in a possessive or controlling way, just that my feelings for you… what we have it's," he shrugged uncomfortably. "It's private. It's none of their business. They aren't even my close friends - you'll notice Motoki very much knows about us! - and they don't know much of _anything_ about me at all."

"But Mamo-chan it's not like it's shameful to have a girlfriend." She was still confused. Of course she doesn't understand, Mamoru thought, Usagi had this amazing ability to wear her heart on her sleeve that he both envied and marveled at.

"I'm not ashamed," he insisted. "I'm not embarrassed. I just don't talk about personal things. And you – my feelings for you – how much I… you know…"

"Love me," she supplied. Usagi still looked confused but less angry.

"It's the most personal of all." He sighed. "So that's why."

Usagi still looked sad. "So it's not me?"

"God no," he cupped her face and looked at her tenderly. "You are perfect."

Usagi flushed and two more tears escaped her eyes. Mamoru wiped them away gently.

"Can I kiss you now?" he asked and she nodded. He kissed her first gently, then let her take over with her usual enthusiasm (although he braced himself against the wall first – he learned his lesson.) She was so soft and sweet and warm, Mamoru hoped the girls had straight up forgotten about them completely because he could probably stay here in her embrace for much longer… But then Usagi pulled away first, despite his small whine of protest, and looked him right in the eye. Some wispy strands of hair were falling into her face, her cheeks were flush and her eyes were bright. She was gorgeous.

"Mamo-chan," she said, seriously. "Next time you have to introduce me as your girlfriend. Or at least something like that."

He pulled her back to him, "I'll say you are my future wife."

"Sure, Mamo-chan, sure," Usagi said.

"You guys on speaking terms yet?!" Rei said, pounding on the door.

"Say no," Mamoru whispered in her ear.

"But Mamo-chan, caaaake," she whined.

The door opened.


	5. SuperS

"Seriously, Mako-chan?" Usagi sighed, accepting her fate as, once again, the closet door closed on them.

"Hey, this is all for Chibi-Usa," Makoto's voice said from the other side of the door, and Usagi could practically feel Makoto winking at the pink-haired child who'd been anxious and frown-y faced all day.

"So what's going on with Chibi-Usa?" Mamoru asked, quietly to Usagi.

"I don't know, she's all hung up on this idea that she won't be born," Usagi whispered back.

"Why?"

Usagi rolled her eyes and shrugged. " _I_ don't know. Something about Saori-san?"

"Saori?" Mamoru looked confused.

"Yeah, something about Saori or someone like her stealing you away into the sunset and you not realizing it would mean the total destruction of Chibi-Usa's existence? And, I don't know, something about petting Saori's head like a cat? Don't ask me, I only live in the same house with Chibi-Usa, not inside her weird ol' head."

"I don't hear kissing!" A voice echoed through the door. 'Goddammit ,Minako. How do you _hear_ kissing?', Usagi thought.

Chibi-Usa wailed dramatically. "I knew it! He's breaking up with her right now! Oh, Usagi, why'd you have to be so stupid and bad at everything!"

From inside the closet, Usagi glared and opened her mouth to retort but Mamoru stopped her with a pointed look.

Usagi rolled her eyes and huffed back against the wall. Insult to injury, this was Mamoru's own closet. She was probably going to be humiliated with ten thousand black turtlenecks as witnesses.

"So what does she think this will accomplish?" Usagi muttered. Mamoru smiled and glanced pointedly at the door. She tilted her head to the side, eye-brows knit. Then she blinked in understanding.

"Oh!" Usagi projected her voice to the door, "Oh, Mamo-chan, she's right! I'm _so_ worried I'll lose you to some random girl from your school with good grades but somewhat mediocre hair."

Mamoru gave her a withering look and she gave an innocently tossed one impossibly long pigtail behind her shoulder 'What?' she mouthed.

"Understandable, as I am such a catch," he said, toward the door. Usagi made a face and punched him in the arm. He grinned and caught her hand, threading his fingers through hers.

"But not to worry, Usako," he was still projecting toward the door, but he smiled right at the girl in front of him. "You know you will always be the only one for me."

"So I don't need to worry about my _precious, darling_ Chibi-Usa somehow failing to make it into the world?" Usagi only clenched her teeth a little in the middle of her speech.

"Never to worry! Don't lose a minute of sleep -," Mamoru stopped when Usagi shook her head and bared her teeth a little.

"You sound like Tuxedo Kamen, reel it back," she whispered.

He gave a sheepish grin and continued in his normal voice. "No worries at all. Our future will be bright." Usagi smiled at him and he smiled back.

"Feel better, Chibi-Usa?" Ami asked and the smaller girl nodded, smiling.

"Yeah, if they cared enough to orchestrate that whole obvious thing for me, I think I don't need to worry too much."

"Except about the fact that your parents are total dorks," Minako said, with a sympathetic frown.

"That," Chibi-Usa said with a sigh, "I always knew."

Shaking her head and laughing, Makoto walked over to open the closet door and immediately closed it again.

"Um." She quickly turned around and gave everyone a big grin. "Should we go raid Mamoru's refrigerator?"


	6. Stars

"You can't be surprised," Mamoru said. "It's practically tradition at this point."

"I'm not surprised," Usagi said. "I'm not even upset. Of course they'd do this at your going away party."

Usagi's eyes started to burn with the effort of not tearing up. She swallowed against the lump in her throat.

Usagi lowered her gaze to the floor, twisted her mouth a little. "Remember the first time they did this to us?"

"Yeah," he said, "although the second time sticks out a little more in my memory."

"Ha, destroying Motoki's closet," Usagi laughed a little. "Good times." Her lips were starting to tremble. She forced them to be still.

"Usako," he turned her so she was facing him and she gave him a calm smile before burying her face in his chest. He stroked her hair. "It'll be okay."

"I know," she said, as if it were no big deal that the love of her life was leaving for a year or more to a place thousands of miles away. As if that sort of thing happened all the time. She looked up at him, keeping her face locked in a small, pleasant smile.

Mamoru brushed some of her hair away from her face, searching her eyes. He cupped her face in his hands, "It's okay," he said softly.

And Usagi lost it. Huge sobs wracked her chest and hot tears fell from her eyes. Mamoru just held her tightly until she calmed enough to speak. "I'm sorry for this," she whispered. "I promise at the airport, I'll send you off with a smile. But now… I got your shirt all wet," she smiled weakly. He handed her a handkerchief and she took it gratefully.

"Ew, now you can't even kiss me," Usagi said, frowning, "I'm all gross from crying."

"You aren't gross," he said, brushing his fingers against her cheeks, still hot and flush from sobbing. "And if you think I'm not going to kiss you during our last 'seven minutes' you are crazy."

Mamoru was rewarded with a genuine smile (albeit a watery one), and six straight minutes of passionate kissing. It wasn't a terrible way to leave things, all in all.

* * *

Thanks for sticking with me through this! Let me know which one was your favorite, ok? (I liked S).


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